An abandoned construction zone in Mexico City, originally planned for a high-tech airport, is now part of a project to conserve 12,200 hectares of marshland where the once massive Lake Texoco stood.

Plans for a new international airport at the location – where the once massive Lake Texcoco stood before Spanish colonisers in the 1600s began draining the water to prevent flooding in their burgeoning settlement – were axed when Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office last December.

About half the area, more than twice the size of New York’s Central Park, is slated for public use, including a sports and events space.

The current project has been hailed by Mexican President Lopez Obrador as a “new Tenochtitlan,” referring to the centuries-old Aztec capital built in the middle of a sprawling lake, where Mexico City is today.

Architect Iñaki Echeverria, who is overseeing the project, aims to open a portion of the park by March next year and offer full access by 2024.

He told Reuters: “The restoration began the moment the construction stopped. This shows nature’s incredible resiliency.”

Image Source: Reuters

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.